Odesa-Crimea Exarchate Engaged in Charitable Efforts
Odesa -- During a press conference on 21 April 2004, Fr.
Mykhailo Ivantsyk, vicar of southern Ukraine's Odesa and
Crimea exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)
and Fr. Oleksandr Smerechynskyi, chaplain of the UGCC, reported
on the exarchate's pastoral activities and the charity work
of the UGCC in the region.
According to them, the UGCC works actively to provide food
and clothes for orphaned and underprivileged children in
Odesa. It is also establishing a spiritual rehabilitation
center for those suffering from drug addiction and an HIV/AIDS
center. Special attention is also given to people suffering
from visual and hearing impairments. According to the two
priests, social work and care for lonely and senior citizens
would be more effective if there were more UGCC churches
in southern Ukraine.
Among the main tasks of the exarchate is to build a church
in Odesa, which still does not have a single Greek Catholic
church.
According to Fr. Ivantsyk, "the Odesa and Crimea Exarchate
of the UGCC will do everything it can to receive land for
construction. I believe that this matter will be looked into
and soon the problem has to be resolved."
Finally, the priests spoke on the events the UGCC is planning
to hold to commemorate the year of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky
and Patriarch Josyf Slipyj. In particular, these include
the presentations of books by these two great church leaders
in Odesa.
Source: www.risu.org.ua
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